As connected TV advertising continues to mature, publishers are increasingly seeking infrastructure that simplifies direct sales while preserving premium inventory value. The rebranding of TheViewPoint to Upstream signals a broader shift in the MarTech and TV advertising ecosystem toward automation designed specifically for CTV publisher revenue growth.
Infra.tv, a television advertising technology company, announced that its subsidiary TheViewPoint will now operate as Upstream, reflecting a strategic move away from traditional supply side platform technology toward direct sales automation for connected TV publishers. The company said the transition aligns Upstream with sister organizations Tatari and Vault as part of a shared effort to modernize infrastructure supporting television advertising.
Infra.tv originally acquired TheViewPoint in 2022 as a conventional SSP provider. Since then, the company has phased out its commodity SSP offerings to focus exclusively on solving operational challenges tied to direct sold advertising. The rebrand represents a shift toward publisher first innovation aimed at improving efficiency in one of the most valuable yet manual areas of CTV monetization.
While programmatic advertising workflows are highly automated, direct sales campaigns remain largely dependent on manual processes. CTV publishers often manage hundreds of insertion orders from individual buyers, creating operational complexity and increasing the risk of errors. Upstream’s platform is designed to automate these workflows through native integrations with publisher ad servers, including NBCUniversal, Paramount, Tubi, Warner Bros Discovery, and Disney through its technology stack.
By connecting major streaming publishers directly with advertiser demand sources such as Tatari, the platform removes traditional intermediary layers commonly associated with demand side and supply side platforms. The company says this approach reduces intermediary fees, improves brand safety controls, and enables publishers to scale premium direct advertising relationships more efficiently.
“We acquired TheViewPoint because we believed the CTV supply chain could and must evolve beyond the inefficient constructs borrowed from digital display and video,” said Philip Inghelbrecht, CEO of Infra.tv. “Upstream is the manifestation of that belief. By automating direct sales—the most valuable but operationally intensive part of publisher revenue—we’re not just optimizing the supply path, we’re fundamentally shortening it. Publishers shouldn’t have to choose between premium direct relationships and operational efficiency. With Upstream, they get both.”
Early adoption from major streaming platforms highlights industry demand for streamlined direct sales infrastructure. Michael Reidy, SVP SMB Growth, Advertising & Partnerships at NBCUniversal, said, “The industry has needed a more modern approach to direct sales for some time. Automation that reduces operational friction while preserving the value of direct relationships is essential to how premium publishers scale, and platforms like Upstream are helping move the ecosystem forward.”
David Futterman, VP at Paramount Advertising, added, “Upstream’s technology delivers significant value, and the platform’s evolution to enable direct sales automation is a key advancement to reduce operational complexities and drive greater long-term efficiency.”
Peter Graseck, Senior Vice President of Sales at Tubi, noted, “Upstream preserves Tubi’s premium positioning and direct relationships while reducing friction, enabling brands to connect more effectively with our 100-plus million monthly active users, especially younger, hard-to-reach audiences.”
Marisa Crocker, VP of Programmatic Operations and Partnerships at Warner Bros Discovery, said, “As an organization we have embraced efficiency and automation, and we are excited to partner on Upstream. We value our partnership with Tatari and have seen strong results thus far.”
The launch of Upstream reflects a broader transformation in connected TV advertising as publishers seek greater control, operational efficiency, and revenue predictability. By automating direct sales workflows while maintaining premium brand relationships, the platform highlights how CTV infrastructure is evolving beyond legacy ad tech models toward publisher centric innovation.
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